[08/13/09 - 01:51 PM]ABC Improves Year to Year on the Evening for the 10th Consecutive WeekABC spins the numbers for Wednesday, August 12.

[via press release from ABC]

Quick Take for Wednesday, August 12, 2009
(Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

With its Top Wednesday Audience in 5 Weeks and 3rd Largest This Summer, ABC Improves Year to Year on the Evening for the 10th Consecutive Week

Gaining Night to Night, "Millionaire" is the Most Watched TV Show from 8-9pm

Shifting to 9pm Against NBC's "Talent," ABC's "Wipeout" Builds on its
Lead-in by 62% to Stand as Wednesday's No. 2 Show in Adults 18-49

Finishing No. 1 in the 10pm Hour in Adults 18-49, ABC News' "Primetime:
Crime" Defeats the Season Finale of NBC's "The Philanthropist" by 25%

Wednesday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC earned second place on Wednesday in Total Viewers (6.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.6/5), drawing its biggest audience on the evening in 5 weeks (since 7/8/09) and 3rd largest this summer.

� ABC boosted its Wednesday results over the year-ago night (8/13/08) by 2.2 million viewers (6.0 million vs. 3.8 million) and by 23% in Adults 18-49 (1.6/5 vs. 1.3/4). The Network outdrew the year-ago Wednesday for the 10th consecutive week.

"Millionaire" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

Up from the previous night by 5% (6.4 million vs. 6.1 million), "Millionaire" stood as the most-watched TV show in the 8 o'clock hour for the 2nd time in 3 telecasts this week.

� Wednesday's "Millionaire" improved ABC's numbers in the hour over the same night last year by 3.2 million viewers (6.4 million vs. 3.2 million) and by 8% in Adults 18-49 (1.3/5 vs. 1.2/4).

"Wipeout" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Shifting to the 9 o'clock hour this week and jumping from its Iead-in by 62% against stiff competition from NBC's "America's Got Talent," ABC's "Wipeout" placed a strong second in its time slot and emerged as the No. 2 TV show of the night in Adults 18-49 (2.1/6).

"Primetime: Crime" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

Beating the season finale of NBC's "The Philanthropist" by 25% in Adults 18-49 (1.5/5 vs. 1.2/4), ABC News' "Primetime: Crime" delivered the No. 1 position in 10 o'clock hour in the key young adult sales demo (tie). The ABC newsmagazine also ranked No. 1 in Men 18-49 (1.2/4-tie) and Women 18-49 (1.9/5-tie).

� In Total Viewers (5.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.5/5), "Primetime: Crime" generated ABC's top numbers in the time period in 4 weeks � since 7/15/09.

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 32% currently, from 26% at the same point in 2008.

More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings), 8/12/09.